The present invention relates to a card-receiving device for a communication apparatus, such as a handheld device or a personal computer card, and for receiving a circuit card, such as a SIM-card, including a body member having a card-receiving portion and a guide means allowing movement of the body member to be performed in relation to a printed circuit board of said communication apparatus, and a switch means for controlling an electric circuit interfacing and/or powering said circuit card.
It also relates to a communication apparatus, such as a handheld device or a PC-card, including a printed circuit board and a housing defining a space for receiving or including such a card-receiving device.
Such a card-receiving device and such a communication apparatus is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,917. The therein described card-receiving device suffers from the drawback that it is space consuming, as the locking mechanism, the switch means and the a card-receiving means portion of the body member are separate parts, placed adjacent to one another on a member intermediate the printed circuit board and the body member. It is also provided with a complicated locking mechanism requiring several movable parts, which may cause malfunction.
Another card-receiving device is described in GB-A-2 326 050, in which the switch means and the a card-receiving means portion of the body member are separate parts, placed adjacent to one another on a member intermediate the printed circuit board and the body member, while the locking mechanism is arranged such that the thickness of the body member is increased. Furthermore, the switch means has a reverse switch function, i.e. the electric circuit is broken, when the card is inserted by depression of a spring member. If the spring member is bent or broken, this will indicate anyway that the card is inserted, causing the circuit card to be damaged, as the electric circuit is closed.
It should be noted that there are card-removal devices without electric switch means. Such a card-receiving device of e.g. a mobile telephone is generally always mounted behind the battery thereof, as a safeguard against damage of the circuit card, as the battery must be removed, before access is given to the card.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a card-receiving devicexe2x80x94including switch meansxe2x80x94which has improved space properties.
This object has been achieved by a card-receiving device as defined initially, which is characterised in that said switch means includes a first contacting means adapted to directly contact a second contacting means of said printed circuit board for enabling said electric circuit.
It has also been achieved by a communication apparatus as defined initially, which is characterised in that said printed circuit board is provided with said second contacting means.
Hereby is achieved a card-receiving device, which protects the card from being destroyed and is yet less space-consuming.
Preferably, said first contacting means includes a pair of resilient contacting members arranged on said body member, said resilient contacting members being adapted to directly contact a pair of contact surfaces of said second contacting means. Of course, the first contacting means may instead include a pair of contact surfaces and the said second contacting means may instead include a pair of resilient contacting members arranged to directly contact arranged the contact surfaces of the first contacting means. Hereby, the use of an intermediate body member is avoided, resulting in a less space-consuming card-receiving device.
Preferably, the contact surfaces of said second contacting means are surfaces on said printed circuit board. Hereby, a simple design of the resilient contacting members is achieved and service thereof is hence easier to facilitate.
Suitably, the body member is provided with a support surface and a wall forming means, together defining said card-receiving portion and adapted to guide the circuit card to be received such that a side of the circuit card comprising contact surfaces is turned towards said support surface. Hereby is achieved a controlled guiding of the circuit card while inserting it.
Advantageously, said body member defines an opening for allowing contacting surfaces of the circuit card to be left uncovered when placed on said support surface. Hereby, connection to the contacting surfaces of the circuit card is allowed, while being turned towards the body member, which in turn avoids the need for an intermediate body member.
Preferably, said body member includes a latching member for allowing the card-receiving device to be releasably secured to the communication apparatus, said locking member constituting a part of said support surface. Hereby, the use of a separate locking member is avoided, resulting in a less space-consuming card-receiving device.
Suitably, said body member is substantially planar, said guide means including first guide members adapted to allow a movement substantially parallel to a plane defined by the body member. In particular, said first guide members are adapted to allow a substantially linear movement. Of course, the first guide members may instead allow a movement about an axis perpendicular to the said plane. Hereby is achieved that the body member is slid into the communication apparatus.
According to the invention, the printed circuit board of said communication apparatus is provided with said second contacting means. In particular, the second contacting means of said communication apparatus includes a pair of conductive surfaces arranged directly on the printed circuit board. Hereby, the use of an intermediate body member for the second contacting means is avoided, resulting in a less space-consuming card-receiving device.
Advantageously, said printed circuit board is provided with a protruding member provided with third contacting means adapted to contact contacting surfaces of said circuit card, said protruding member constituting part of said guide means. By integrating the third contacting means with the guide means, a less space-consuming card-receiving device is achieved.